Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is gearing up to stage a dharna in Kolkata from Friday in protest against alleged withholding of the state’s dues by the Centre, thereby intensifying the already charged political atmosphere.
The issue of the Centre withholding the dues, particularly under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), has snowballed into a significant political controversy in West Bengal.
Earlier demonstrations by TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, along with a cohort of party legislators, MPs, ministers, and MGNREGA workers at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, followed by a five-day sit-in outside Raj Bhavan here, have underscored the gravity of the situation. According to TMC sources, this forthcoming dharna marks the third major agitation over the issue.
The latest stir is on the lines of a similar two-day sit-in led by Banerjee herself in March of the preceding year, as well as Abhishek Banerjee’s agitation in New Delhi and subsequent dharna outside Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.
”The dharna will start at noon in Red Road area in Maidan. Our party supremo Mamata Banerjee will lead the agitation. Other senior leaders of the party will also be present,” a senior TMC leader said.
Sources suggested that the dharna may extend to 48 hours, strategically coinciding with the commencement of the West Bengal budget session on February 5. Taking to social media, the party reiterated its stance, accusing the BJP-led Centre of failing to fulfill promises and neglecting the welfare of Bengal’s rural poor.
The post on the party’s official handle read, ”Empty promises and shattered dreams! Bengal’s rural poor have been deprived of their rightful wages, all at the behest of the @BJP4India-led Centre. The ongoing battle for the rights of our MGNREGA workers will intensify as Smt.@MamataOfficial leads a dharna on the 2nd of February.”
Reacting to the TMC’s planned dharna, BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya dismissed the allegations against the Centre as baseless.
”The allegations against the Centre are baseless. It is the state government which has stopped providing details regarding the use of central funds and has not submitted utilisation certificates, which is why the funds have been halted,” Bhattacharya said.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, which aims to enhance the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year, lies at the heart of this contentious issue.
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